During the early years of JJ Redick’s career, he was one of the most infamous players in basketball due to his time at Duke. While everyone loves being on the podcast of the Lakers’ new head coach, it wasn’t always that way – Carmelo Anthony knows firsthand.
Carmelo Anthony shared a hilarious untold story about JJ Redick during an episode of his “7PM in Brooklyn” podcast. The story centered around Kobe Bryant bullying a young JJ Redick during Team USA practices. Kobe, tired of Coach K’s constant praise for Redick, decided to take matters into his own hands.
“JJ Redick and Kobe [Bryant] on Team USA. We were preparing to play against international stars like the Ginobilis and Rudy Fernandez. Players with JJ Redick’s style. I remember Kobe couldn’t stand JJ. He’d come to practice, and I hope someone can vouch for this story. Kobe took it personally against JJ Redick in practice because Coach K kept talking about JJ. Kobe took it very, very personally, to the point where he was running through screens, denying JJ the ball, fouling the hell out of JJ. I was like, ‘Damn, why are you treating the young boy like that?’ Kobe said, ‘F**k that motherf**ker. Coach K keeps talking about this guy like he’s something special. F**k this motherf**ker, I’m going to show you today.’ I was like, ‘Look at this dude, he’s bugged out! Why are you chasing JJ like that?’ But I learned that’s how you got to treat these young guys, show them it’s real. We were locked in, but Kobe’s competitiveness was triggered by Coach K’s praise.”
It’s astonishing to think that nearly 20 years later, the same player Kobe Bryant bullied has become the head coach of the team Kobe once played for. JJ Redick’s coaching role with the Los Angeles Lakers is set to be one of the most scrutinized and intriguing positions in the NBA. The transition from being a player who was once the target of Bryant’s competitive fervor to becoming the head coach of the Lakers adds a fascinating layer to Redick’s basketball journey.